sfunk1x

Hey guys,

This is a great forum in terms of resources go. I've been scanning through as many threads as I have been able to in the past couple of days but haven't seen my specific questions answered.

I'm about to buy a 2003 E320 Sport (I think it's a sport, it has the sport badge on both sides of the car and on the shift knob). Here's some details on the car:

Vin: WDBUF65J03A168335
Seems to have the air ride feature - carfax showed that the rear shocks had been replaced byt he dealer in '07
MAF / AFM had been replaced in '05
Heater control valve had been replaced in '07
Engine looked clean under the hood - no leaks that I could tell underneath
Body looked good, one scuff on the rear bumper near the trunklid
Wheels looked great - wasn't parking by braille
Tires looked great
Interior had some dings to it - the pillar next to drivers seat had a tear in the fabric - looked like someones belt had been catching on that for a long time. Is that a replaceable piece?
Center console leather seems to be bubbling up in a couple spots
Chrome coming off interior drivers door handle

Asking price was 15,800 and I was only able to talk them down to 15,200. KBB shows about $18k for the car with the options it has. Is there a VIN decoder that would tell me what options this particular car has? I don't think the original window sticker was available, though the manual / Mercedes documentation does come with the car.

What am I really getting into buying a MB? I've never owned one before, but this car drives extremely nice. No pulls, no weird shuddering when braking or accelerating, very quiet on the road, AC and heat work great. I am concerned a little bit with the stereo - as this car was supposed to have COMAND. it's a double DIN Kenwood touchscreen nav deck, so it's not terrible - but it's not factory either. No idea if it's hooked up to factory amps.

Thoughts? if there are some threads I missed, I'll gladly search through those if you can provide links. otherwise, I'll keep scanning through the forums for the basic answers. I'm pretty mechanically inclined (build a couple cars in my day, used to work in a shop during another lifetime before I got into high tech) so replacing things like brakes/shocks isn't a big deal to me... I just don't want to be doing headgaskets or tranny rebuilds, as this is going to be my daily driver.

Thanks in advance!

WEBSRFR

I think you are paying too much. Also note that without a stock command unit you are loosing out on some of the integration with the center console display and steering wheel buttons. I'd apply a devaluation hit for not having Command as well as the cosmetic stuff you pointed out. What is the mileage of this car? I think you can do better for $15K. I'd also try to find a slightly newer model if you can.

WEBSRFR

For comparison you can buy a nicely equipped E500 for 12K-something so you should be able to do a similar deal or better on a 320. Don't be afraid to expand your search radius. I drove about 4 hours to pick up my car...

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national

sfunk1x

So my deal there is that I don't have $12k cash to spend, so I'm forced to finance. I thought there were laws against financing out of state? Maybe I'm mistaken...

WEBSRFR

If you have decent credit you should be able to get financing from your bank or sometimes even your insurance company. The dealer itself uses an outside bank or other company usually to get you financing and the dealer usually takes a cut so you end up paying higher. You are better off getting approved for a loan first and then buying the best car for you from wherever you want to buy it. It would be news to me that you need to get financing from the state you live in.

In any case good luck!

sfunk1x

Thanks man! :-) Looking forward to (hopefully) owning an E320 soon!

MercFiveHundred

I thought Command was only available 2004+? 2003 was just a cassette/CD/CD changer set up. If so, i would consider that after market unit an upgrade.

You don't tell us much about the car like how many miles, etc. Considering it doesn't have a warranty, i would pass on it since you don't have straight cash for it. You should get a much better interest rate on a car that is certified and has a warranty. You should also be able to negotiate a lower price because of dealer incentives for financing.

Just saying. You should make a trip to a dealer and check it out. You might be surprised what you find. 2003's are a hit or miss. Mine is a miss, but i still like it.

Craftysince86

i may have missed it but what is the mileage on the vehicle?

i bought my '03 e320 about about a year ago, perfect body, all records were on hand car was immaculate. 65k miles on it and i spent only 13.5? maybe 14... def do some shopping, and even with financing you can still purchase from private party. GL

sfunk1x

The car has 83k, dealer asking $15.2 (After I talked them down). E320's in my area are all well above $16k, and usually undesirable color combos (I can't handle grey/tan interior), so it limits my options.

I'm also lookign at this as a way to rebuild my credit - however, I don't want to buy the car then in 6 months end up having to spend $7000 to make repairs. That's my biggest concern.

brm

Sounds like you should run, not walk, away. A used MB without a CPO warranty or available cash for repairs is no way to repair credit and, in fact, is a really good way to get back into hock. You might get lucky, but my recommendation is to buy something Japanese, like an Infiniti M, where you're not likely to have to spend money on major mechanical or electronic repairs, and they're somewhat cheaper if you do. I know whereof I speak, having bought an Alfa Romeo with nearly all the money I had in college, and an XK-E Jaguar on a PFC's pay.

sfunk1x

Hmm, disheartening. So it's not even worth having the car checked out by a shop, then? I figured they'd at least be semi-reliable. I'd liek to avoid owning another Japanese car if at all possible, but if I have to...

sfunk1x

FWIW, this is the car:

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/ctd/2560059743.html

WEBSRFR

"This 2003 E-Class is that perfect luxury car you've been searching for. It will save you money by keeping you on the road and out of the mechanic's garage."



Seriously though don't get into a Mercedes if you have financial concerns as maintaining them are not cheap, especially the first production year (2003) of the W211 model E Class which you are considering. You could get lucky with a great car or you might have to deal with a bunch of expensive repairs. Get into it knowing you can handle repairs if they come up.

Otherwise, buy a Japanese car. You'll likely do better with the cost of maintaining it if you buy a Lexus or Infinity as opposed to a 2003 MB E Class.

sfunk1x

I am pretty confident I'd be able to handle repairs as they come up and I'm not expecting a 100% reliable car. I just don't want to get hit with a $6000 repair bill, say for all 4 shocks if they suddenly just broke one day. The carfax report showed that the MAF, rear shocks and heater control valve had been replaced - and from searchign the forums, those seem to be the big items that break on this chassis. I could be wrong there, but it does seem like the first owner had all the difficulties taken care of with the car.

It absolutely is a big decision for me, but I feel like I'm ready to take the car on. I really do want to get it checked out first, though. if it comes back needing more repairs, either I talk the dealer down more or I just walk away and look at a W210.

WEBSRFR

Stay away from the 500 and you will not have to worry about the expensive Airmatic shocks going bad... Like I said look around. As long as you can get financing there are lots of deals to be had if you are open to travelling a bit to pick up your car. Good luck!

sfunk1x

Oh, interesting. Only the 500 has the airmatic shocks? What airshock system does the E320 have? I assumed it had it because when the car was placed in reverse, the rearend of the car actually raised up (maybe the front end too) and there are buttons on the console which look like a shock button, and then a ride height button.

CharlyE500

I recommend E320 but year 2004 or 2005 not 2003 which is the first year of W211. Plus, the after market stereo looks terrible. 04 and 05 will be more reliable and you can find that price range of $15k to $17K

brm

Mercedes are reliable cars. I have several friends who own them, and love them. They all agree, however, that 1) they are not trouble-free, and 2) even the minor repair items are spendy, because you don't have Chinese factories making knock-off parts that you can buy at Rock Auto for pennies on the dollar. Like every soldier, you never think you're the one who's going to take the bullet, but if it happens, you'll regret it. It's like the old saying, "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." Originally referring to J-Class yachts, I believe, and perfectly appropriate here.

sfunk1x

I can dig the chinese factory knock off parts. I'm used to paying a premium for factory parts since I never skimp on replacement or maintenance, I just don't want to walk into a car where I spend $15k on fixing stuff that's wrong with it, as I noted above.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask what the cost of ownership is so I can at least get a feel of what I'm getting into. I've never owned a Mercedes before and I'd like to, but I don't want to just open my wallet. I'm sure you can understand the feeling. It would be like purchasing a house and not having it inspected first or at least ask what it would cost to replace the roof in case of a disaster.

MercFiveHundred

The e320 sport has air suspension. The non-sport version does not have air suspension - conventional shocks and springs.

sfunk1x

Thank you! I believe this is a sport based on the badging on the outside and on the shift knob.

Again, I appreciate all the constructive comments so far. This does give me more confidence in pursuing a W211.

gnma

This car uses an SBC brake system. Search up on SBC before buying.

sfunk1x

Well, I was able to talk the dealer down more after I had an independent Merc shop take a look at the car. overall it's solid, but has a couple points that will need addressing within 6 months. Most of that I can handle myself, but a couple things I think I'll just let the shop take care of for me. Plugs/wires & fuel filter I think I can handle - but torque arm ball joint boots are torn (which is a shame, because the torque arms look replaced) and the valve covers are weeping a little bit. That and it needs a brake flush.

I did not know about SBC until now - might explain the need to get used to the brakes. :-)

I'm pretty happy with the car though. It's the color scheme I wanted and it's the sport model. As long as I stay on top of maint, I'm sure this car will last me until I trade up to a CDI in a few years.

Thanks all for your input!

Dexion

Expect to replace,
Upper Ball Joints (Wheels Shake, feel thumping noise while braking)
Lower Ball Joints (Wheels slide out on turns slightly, squeak noises gradually getting worse)
Thrust Arm struts (Clunking on front end)
Air-Matic Shocks (expensive)
Valve Cover Gaskets
Brake Fluid needs changing every 2 years regardless of mileage.
SBC pump If it goes hopefully you aren't going to fast. Mine blew at 20mph

Engine and Transmission will outlast everything on the car with 40k Tranny flushes and regular oil changes as long as you do not have the radiator that dilutes the transmission lines that ends up destroying the tranny.

Good Luck.

T-Mac

I recently bought a 2003 E320 with 45k miles on it. Some minor work had to be done like replacing brake pads, trans fluid flush, oil change, heater changeover valve, and I'll soon be replacing the rear ball joints.

But by doing all the work myself, it's actually not that expensive of a car to own. Of course regular maintenance is a must. I haven't had the SBC system fail on me yet, but I try not to think about it when I drive the car.